For
whatever we aspire to become, it is inspiring to associate with a master. This
holds true for those of us who dream to be great athletes, musicians, artists,
or businessmen.

Moreover,
nowadays many of us are waking up to an understanding that we are spiritual
beings; somewhere along the path of realizing that the purpose of human life is
more than just survival and material accomplishments. We are beginning to see
that we are souls, not just mechanical bodies. We see all around us the allure
of material life, but our hearts are yearning for a deeper, richer, fuller
experience. We want to taste God. We want to be whole and fulfilled, not for
five minutes or five hours, but forever - and for that attainment, inspiring
masters are also available.

These
days we are very fortunate, because we have so much access to information
through books and the internet. We also have access to the Vedas, the ancient
scriptures, a vast opus compiled thousands of years ago in India by great sages
in order to benefit mankind to progress along the path of self-realization.

However,
there is such an enormous diversity of information available from these
timeless books of wisdom, with so many interpretations, that choice can lead to
confusion. Thus, we become like starving children entering a sumptuous
restaurant. There is so much available, but what would be good for us to eat What will really nourish us?

With
our hearts yearning for truth in a world offering a myriad of solutions, the
spiritual master, the sadhu, or saint, plays an essential role.
The word sadhuis derived from the Sanskrit word sat, or sattva, which means the 'ever-existing Supreme Absolute Truth, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead.' The sadhuis
fully surrendered to that Absolute Truth, and is in essence a manifestation of
that Truth, who is revealed in the Vedic scriptures as Sri Krsna.

It is
stated in the Vedas: "The symptoms of a sadhu, or saint, are that he is tolerant, merciful, and friendly to
all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the
scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime."

The sadhuis tolerant, without being
disturbed. For example, Lord Jesus Christ was tolerant. Even when he was being
crucified, he prayed to God, "Forgive them, Father, for they know not what
they do." Another example is the child-saint Prahlada Maharaja.

Prahlada's
demonic father tried to torture him in many ways: by hurling him
off a cliff, at the feet of a wild elephant, into a fire, and in a pit of
snakes; but Prahlada was never disturbed. His father forced him to drink
poison, and he drank it, but he was not at all disturbed.

We
learn that part of the core process of progressing in God- realization is sadhu-sariga, which means 'association with a sadhu,' and which the ancient Vedas tell
us offers unfathomable benefits: "If a person gets the chance to
attentively hear from elevated saints about the activities and character of Sri
Krsna, which are like a flowing river of nectar, he
will forget the necessities of life, namely hunger and thirst, and become
immune to all kinds of fear, lamentation, and illusion" (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.29.40).

And
further, "Association with wise devotees makes what was empty full. It
turns death into immortality. It turns calamity into good fortune" (Vasistha-sastra).

The
great self-realized soul, SrilaBhaktivinodaThakura, who lived in India in the nineteenth
century, explains in a poetic song that there is no one in this entire world more dear than a sadhu. Worldly
fathers, mothers, and other relatives are dear, but not as dear as that sadhu. These worldly relationships may
sometimes bring us suffering, but a sadhutakes
away all our sufferings. For this reason the scriptures tell us that by even a
moment's association with a pure sadhuone
can attain all success.

The sadhuof This Book

After
rising as early as three a.m., uttering mantras
and prayers and chanting the various names and glories ofKrsna, it was a part of Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami
Maharaja's morning practice to take a brisk walk for up to one hour. This was a
time when those seeking his association could walk with him, and also hear from
him, for at times he would stop and spontaneously share his realizations.

A sublime
and elevated personality, his relationships and interactions with people on a
one-to-one basis are intimate and sweet. Hundreds of thousands of people take
his association, and yet he is always able to tailor his communication for the
person who asks a question, even if that person has never met him before. To
one inquirer he might express himself with joking irony, to another with
gravity, to another in a playful way, to another with sternness, to another
with a tone of sympathy, to another with subtle philosophical intricacies, and
to another with deliberate simplicity. Sometimes what he says is applicable for
the moment, and sometimes for eternity. Sometimes his replies apply to a
specific individual, and sometimes to the entire audience, but in both cases
his words enlighten all.

He
personally replies most of the time, and on occasion he calls on a sannyasi(renunciant)
or other senior disciples to reply. Sometimes he expresses appreciation for his
disciples' replies, and sometimes he corrects them. There is a saying in India
that a mother teaches her daughter-in-law by teaching her daughter. In other
words, the mother will most readily give corrective instruction to her own
daughter, but that instruction will apply equally to the less accessible
daughter-in-law. Similarly, on his morning walks Srila
Maharaja trains his disciple/preachers to speak and understand with great
precision and clarity the established truths of Vedic philosophy; and by this
he also wants to inspire all people of the world, all of whom he considers as
his spiritual children. He wants to inspire them with the understanding that
correct philosophical thought elevates one on his or her path to perfection,
whereas a philosophical misunderstanding can derail one from the path and keep
one chained in the darkness of material and spiritual confusion.

In
2008 his eighty-seventh birthday was celebrated, yet he not only walked briskly
but with great elegance and refinement. One could not help but be struck by his
warmth, ease, compassion, and gravitas, and one was struck by even a slight
sense of his unconditional, ever-fresh love and affection for all.

We
learn from spiritual masters that whenever a saint speaks, atoms of prema(transcendental love of God) emanate
from his glance and from every pore of his divine body, and these atoms fall
upon all those who are fortunate enough to be in his presence. Everyone starts
somewhere, and he accepts all with an unfathomable open heart.

We
wish we could put a video of these morning walks and darsanason each page of this book so that
you would be able to see his sweet smiles, hear his laughter, and hear his
voice full of unending care and compassion.

The Making

It was
in Odessa, Ukraine, in September of 2008 that SrilaNaravanaGosvami Maharaja first
requested his followers to publish transcriptions of his morning walks,
"So that in the future everyone will be able to know all the established
truths we have discussed." He requested a series of books, each year of
discussions becoming a book.

His
new publishing team began collecting the sound-files (audio and video) for all
of his walks and darsanasof 2008 - the first year's book and
then they wrote to devotees they knew in each country, asking for more.

They
recognized most of the voices on the sound-files, but some they didn't. So they
asked their spiritual brothers and sisters in each city to hear the walks or darsanasand fill in the missing names. In
the rare instances where they were unable to get names, the page will say
'Devotee' or 'Guest.'

As
more and more walks and darsanaswere
edited, some of the editors began to consider removing the names of Srila Maharaja's spiritual daughters and sons, as well as
the names of others, including institutional and political leaders, who were
corrected or chastised by him. They were worried that these persons would be
embarrassed by 'public exposure:' and worried that, imitating him, his
followers might also feel free to criticize and chastise. In response to their
concerns, Srila Maharaja personally directed them to
be transparent and not omit anything. He said there was no need for adjustment
of the text; his correction or chastisement of his own disciples, or of others,
would be beneficial for those individuals as well as for the world. He added
that those who are not self-realized souls must not find fault with others,
however, because "They have no power to do so.

Contents

Foreword

I

Auckland, New Zealand

1

January
4 - darsana

2

January
5 - morning walk

4

January
5 - darsana after the walk

8

January
5 - darsana

8

January
6 - darsana

12

January
8 – darsana

20

January
9 - morning walk

25

January
9 – darsana

27

January
9 - airport darsana

29

Lautoka, Fiji

31

January
11 - morning walk

32

January
14 – darsana at the home of Nitin Punja

35

January
14 - darsanaat the home of jagadisadasa

36

January
15 - excerpt of a darsana at the
home of Srimati Gaurimatadasi

For
whatever we aspire to become, it is inspiring to associate with a master. This
holds true for those of us who dream to be great athletes, musicians, artists,
or businessmen.

Moreover,
nowadays many of us are waking up to an understanding that we are spiritual
beings; somewhere along the path of realizing that the purpose of human life is
more than just survival and material accomplishments. We are beginning to see
that we are souls, not just mechanical bodies. We see all around us the allure
of material life, but our hearts are yearning for a deeper, richer, fuller
experience. We want to taste God. We want to be whole and fulfilled, not for
five minutes or five hours, but forever - and for that attainment, inspiring
masters are also available.

These
days we are very fortunate, because we have so much access to information
through books and the internet. We also have access to the Vedas, the ancient
scriptures, a vast opus compiled thousands of years ago in India by great sages
in order to benefit mankind to progress along the path of self-realization.

However,
there is such an enormous diversity of information available from these
timeless books of wisdom, with so many interpretations, that choice can lead to
confusion. Thus, we become like starving children entering a sumptuous
restaurant. There is so much available, but what would be good for us to eat What will really nourish us?

With
our hearts yearning for truth in a world offering a myriad of solutions, the
spiritual master, the sadhu, or saint, plays an essential role.
The word sadhuis derived from the Sanskrit word sat, or sattva, which means the 'ever-existing Supreme Absolute Truth, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead.' The sadhuis
fully surrendered to that Absolute Truth, and is in essence a manifestation of
that Truth, who is revealed in the Vedic scriptures as Sri Krsna.

It is
stated in the Vedas: "The symptoms of a sadhu, or saint, are that he is tolerant, merciful, and friendly to
all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the
scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime."

The sadhuis tolerant, without being
disturbed. For example, Lord Jesus Christ was tolerant. Even when he was being
crucified, he prayed to God, "Forgive them, Father, for they know not what
they do." Another example is the child-saint Prahlada Maharaja.

Prahlada's
demonic father tried to torture him in many ways: by hurling him
off a cliff, at the feet of a wild elephant, into a fire, and in a pit of
snakes; but Prahlada was never disturbed. His father forced him to drink
poison, and he drank it, but he was not at all disturbed.

We
learn that part of the core process of progressing in God- realization is sadhu-sariga, which means 'association with a sadhu,' and which the ancient Vedas tell
us offers unfathomable benefits: "If a person gets the chance to
attentively hear from elevated saints about the activities and character of Sri
Krsna, which are like a flowing river of nectar, he
will forget the necessities of life, namely hunger and thirst, and become
immune to all kinds of fear, lamentation, and illusion" (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.29.40).

And
further, "Association with wise devotees makes what was empty full. It
turns death into immortality. It turns calamity into good fortune" (Vasistha-sastra).

The
great self-realized soul, SrilaBhaktivinodaThakura, who lived in India in the nineteenth
century, explains in a poetic song that there is no one in this entire world more dear than a sadhu. Worldly
fathers, mothers, and other relatives are dear, but not as dear as that sadhu. These worldly relationships may
sometimes bring us suffering, but a sadhutakes
away all our sufferings. For this reason the scriptures tell us that by even a
moment's association with a pure sadhuone
can attain all success.

The sadhuof This Book

After
rising as early as three a.m., uttering mantras
and prayers and chanting the various names and glories ofKrsna, it was a part of Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami
Maharaja's morning practice to take a brisk walk for up to one hour. This was a
time when those seeking his association could walk with him, and also hear from
him, for at times he would stop and spontaneously share his realizations.

A sublime
and elevated personality, his relationships and interactions with people on a
one-to-one basis are intimate and sweet. Hundreds of thousands of people take
his association, and yet he is always able to tailor his communication for the
person who asks a question, even if that person has never met him before. To
one inquirer he might express himself with joking irony, to another with
gravity, to another in a playful way, to another with sternness, to another
with a tone of sympathy, to another with subtle philosophical intricacies, and
to another with deliberate simplicity. Sometimes what he says is applicable for
the moment, and sometimes for eternity. Sometimes his replies apply to a
specific individual, and sometimes to the entire audience, but in both cases
his words enlighten all.

He
personally replies most of the time, and on occasion he calls on a sannyasi(renunciant)
or other senior disciples to reply. Sometimes he expresses appreciation for his
disciples' replies, and sometimes he corrects them. There is a saying in India
that a mother teaches her daughter-in-law by teaching her daughter. In other
words, the mother will most readily give corrective instruction to her own
daughter, but that instruction will apply equally to the less accessible
daughter-in-law. Similarly, on his morning walks Srila
Maharaja trains his disciple/preachers to speak and understand with great
precision and clarity the established truths of Vedic philosophy; and by this
he also wants to inspire all people of the world, all of whom he considers as
his spiritual children. He wants to inspire them with the understanding that
correct philosophical thought elevates one on his or her path to perfection,
whereas a philosophical misunderstanding can derail one from the path and keep
one chained in the darkness of material and spiritual confusion.

In
2008 his eighty-seventh birthday was celebrated, yet he not only walked briskly
but with great elegance and refinement. One could not help but be struck by his
warmth, ease, compassion, and gravitas, and one was struck by even a slight
sense of his unconditional, ever-fresh love and affection for all.

We
learn from spiritual masters that whenever a saint speaks, atoms of prema(transcendental love of God) emanate
from his glance and from every pore of his divine body, and these atoms fall
upon all those who are fortunate enough to be in his presence. Everyone starts
somewhere, and he accepts all with an unfathomable open heart.

We
wish we could put a video of these morning walks and darsanason each page of this book so that
you would be able to see his sweet smiles, hear his laughter, and hear his
voice full of unending care and compassion.

The Making

It was
in Odessa, Ukraine, in September of 2008 that SrilaNaravanaGosvami Maharaja first
requested his followers to publish transcriptions of his morning walks,
"So that in the future everyone will be able to know all the established
truths we have discussed." He requested a series of books, each year of
discussions becoming a book.

His
new publishing team began collecting the sound-files (audio and video) for all
of his walks and darsanasof 2008 - the first year's book and
then they wrote to devotees they knew in each country, asking for more.

They
recognized most of the voices on the sound-files, but some they didn't. So they
asked their spiritual brothers and sisters in each city to hear the walks or darsanasand fill in the missing names. In
the rare instances where they were unable to get names, the page will say
'Devotee' or 'Guest.'

As
more and more walks and darsanaswere
edited, some of the editors began to consider removing the names of Srila Maharaja's spiritual daughters and sons, as well as
the names of others, including institutional and political leaders, who were
corrected or chastised by him. They were worried that these persons would be
embarrassed by 'public exposure:' and worried that, imitating him, his
followers might also feel free to criticize and chastise. In response to their
concerns, Srila Maharaja personally directed them to
be transparent and not omit anything. He said there was no need for adjustment
of the text; his correction or chastisement of his own disciples, or of others,
would be beneficial for those individuals as well as for the world. He added
that those who are not self-realized souls must not find fault with others,
however, because "They have no power to do so.

Contents

Foreword

I

Auckland, New Zealand

1

January
4 - darsana

2

January
5 - morning walk

4

January
5 - darsana after the walk

8

January
5 - darsana

8

January
6 - darsana

12

January
8 – darsana

20

January
9 - morning walk

25

January
9 – darsana

27

January
9 - airport darsana

29

Lautoka, Fiji

31

January
11 - morning walk

32

January
14 – darsana at the home of Nitin Punja

35

January
14 - darsanaat the home of jagadisadasa

36

January
15 - excerpt of a darsana at the
home of Srimati Gaurimatadasi

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